News & Commentary

Wednesday’s attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of white nationalists, incited by President Trump, was an assault on our democracy and a brazen display of white supremacy in action.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten the lives of all Louisianans, people incarcerated in the state’s crowded prisons and jails remain among the most vulnerable to this disease.

During a year of immense highs and lows, the ACLU of Louisiana fought tirelessly to protect the civil liberties and constitutional rights of every Louisianan. 

After an historic year of reckoning for the country and the philanthropic community over racial injustice, the real test of our progress is what comes next.  

In the December 5 runoff election, justice is front and center on the ballot. This election will decide the next Orleans Parish District Attorney who will hold the power to create a fairer, more equitable legal system.

Although we were not able to prevail against Oakdale’s egregious conditions in court, we're staying in the fight for justice until everyone is afforded the basic human rights and dignity they deserve. 

On August 21st, Trayford Pellerin – a 31-year-old Black man – was killed by Lafayette police officers outside a convenience store. Cell phone video of the incident clearly showed Pellerin moving away from the officers, but they shot him 10 times, killing him. An autopsy later showed no evidence that officers had tased him before using deadly force.

Habitual offender statutes, known in some states as “three strikes” laws, are a relic of failed “tough on crime” policies that have had devastating consequences for families and communities across the country.

My name is Jasmine Groves and I am the youngest of three children of Kim Marie Groves. A former New Orleans police officer Len Davis put a hit on my mother in retaliation for her witnessing him beat a teenager in our neighborhood and filing a complaint against him. The day my mother reported Officer Davis was the day before my 13th birthday. About 3:30pm, she called the office to file the complaint, and it usually took 24 to 72 hours for an officer to be notified of a complaint against them. Unfortunately, Davis knew within hours of my mother filing the complaint; by the time she made it home that night, the hit to take her life was already set.